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The Hell–Sunnan Line () is a
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
line between
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
(in
Stjørdal Municipality () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the List of towns and cities in ...
) and
Sunnan Sunnan or Sundan is a village in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the area between the lakes Snåsavatnet and Fossemvatnet about northeast of the town of Steinkjer. The village of Følling lies about to t ...
(in
Steinkjer Municipality or is a municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Steinkjer (town), town of Steinkjer which is located on the inne ...
) in
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; or is a county and coextensive with the Trøndelag region (also known as ''Midt-Norge'' or ''Midt-Noreg,'' "Mid-Norway") in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County (); in 1804 the county was ...
county,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. The name is no longer in official use and the line is now considered part of the
Nordland Line The Nordland Line (, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through Trøndelag and Nordland counties, carrying a combination of commuter, long-haul passenge ...
. The Hell–Sunnan Line branches from the
Meråker Line The Meråker Line ( �meːroːkərˌbɑːnən is a railway line which runs through the district and valley of Stjørdalen in Trøndelag county, Norway. The line branches off from the Nordland Line at Hell Station and runs eastwards to the No ...
at Hell and runs on the east shore of the
Trondheimsfjord The Trondheim Fjord or Trondheimsfjorden (), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's List of Norwegian fjords, third-longest fjord at long. It is located in the west-central part of the country in Trøndelag county, and it stretches from Ørl ...
passing through
Stjørdal Municipality () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the List of towns and cities in ...
,
Levanger Municipality Levanger is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the district of Innherred. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Levanger (town), town of Levanger. Some o ...
,
Verdal Municipality Verdal is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the List of towns and cities in ...
,
Inderøy Municipality Inderøy is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Straumen, Trøn ...
, and
Steinkjer Municipality or is a municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Steinkjer (town), town of Steinkjer which is located on the inne ...
. The
Norwegian State Railways Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *Norwegian language, including the two ...
(NSB) started construction in 1899 and the first part of the line, from Hell to
Stjørdalshalsen Stjørdalshalsen or Stjørdal (nickname: ''Halsen'') is a town and the administrative centre of Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located between the rivers Stjørdalselva and Gråelva to the south and north and by th ...
, opened on 1 February 1902. The railway opened to
Levanger Levanger may refer to: Places * Levanger Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway * Levanger (town), a town within Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway * Levanger landsogn, a former municipality (1856–1962) in Trø ...
on 29 October 1902, to
Verdalsøra Verdalsøra or Verdal is a town in Verdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is the administrative center of the municipality. It is located along the Trondheimsfjord at the mouth of the river Verdalselva. The village of Vinne ...
on 1 November 1904 and to Sunnan on 15 November 1905. Sunnan was chosen as terminus because of its location on the southern end of the lake of
Snåsavatnet Snåsavatnet (; ) is Norway's sixth-largest lake. The lake is located in Steinkjer Municipality and Snåsa Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The villages of Følling and Sunnan lie at the southwestern end of the lake and the village o ...
. The line was further extended to
Snåsa Snåsa may refer to: Places

*Snåsa Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Snåsa (village), a village in Snåsa Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Snåsa Church, a church built in 1200 in Snåsa Municipality in Trø ...
in 1926, after which it has been classified as part of the Nordland Line. The railway is the most heavily trafficked non-electrified line in Norway, with the
Trøndelag Commuter Rail The Trøndelag Commuter Rail (, ) is a commuter train service operating in Trøndelag county, Norway. It was operated with NSB Class 92, Class 92 diesel multiple units by Vy (formerly Norwegian State Railways (1883–1996), Norwegian State Railw ...
running south of
Steinkjer or is a municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Steinkjer (town), town of Steinkjer which is located on the inne ...
. It is also used by intercity passenger and freight trains.


Route

The Hell–Sunnan Line constitutes the section of the Nordland Line between Hell, Stjørdal and Sunnan, Steinkjer. At the time of the line's opening, it was long.Norwegian National Rail Administration (2009): 44 The railway is
single track Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
,
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, non-electrified, and equipped with centralized traffic control,Norwegian National Rail Administration (2009): 37 partial
automatic train control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
,Norwegian National Rail Administration (2009): 40 and
GSM-R GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is use ...
.Norwegian National Rail Administration (2009): 42 The railway line is owned and maintained by the
Norwegian National Rail Administration Jernbaneverket () was a government agency responsible for owning, maintaining, operating and developing the Norwegian railway network, including the track, stations, classification yards, traffic management and timetables. Safety oversight ...
.Norwegian National Rail Administration (2009): 3 Starting in the south at
Hell Station Hell Station () is a railway station located in the village of Hell in Stjørdal Municipality in the Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located at the intersection of the Nordland Line and the Meråker Line. Information Hell Station serves: * t ...
, which is located from Trondheim Central Station (Trondheim S), the Meråker Line branches from the Nordland Line. The latter crosses the river of
Stjørdalselva Stjørdalselva () is a long river that reaches from near the Norwegian– Swedish border down the Stjørdalen valley through Meråker Municipality and Stjørdal Municipality before entering the Trondheimsfjord. The mouth is located on the sout ...
on a
truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
. It passes the closed Sandferhus Station before reaching Trondheim Airport Station ( from Trondheim S), which serves as an
airport rail link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport between an airport and a nearby city. Direct links operate straight from the airport terminal to the city, while other links require an intermediate use of a people mover or ...
and is situated below the terminal of
Trondheim Airport, Værnes Trondheim Airport (; ), more commonly known as Værnes, is an international airport serving Trondheim (city), Trondheim and the surrounding areas in Trøndelag county, Norway. The airport is located in Værnes, Trøndelag, Værnes, a village i ...
.Bjerke and Holom (1994): 95 Previously there was a
spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...
from Sandferhus to
Værnes Trondheim Airport (; ), more commonly known as Værnes, is an international airport serving Trondheim (city), Trondheim and the surrounding areas in Trøndelag county, Norway. The airport is located in Værnes, Trøndelag, Værnes, a village i ...
and Øyanmoen.Bjerke and Holom (1994): 92 The mainline continues under the airport's
taxiway A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with Airport apron, aprons, hangars, Airport terminal, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as Asphalt concrete, asphalt or concrete, although sma ...
and
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
in the two Værnes Tunnels, the latter which is long, after which the line reaches Stjørdal Station (). The line continues past the closed
Vold Station Vold Station () was a railway station on the Nordland Line in Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station was located in Voll, just southeast of the village of Skatval. It opened in 1938. In 1959, the station was moved south ...
, which was built to serve a mill,Hoås and Stene (2006): 27 to
Skatval Skatval is a village in Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Skatval peninsula about northwest of the town of Stjørdalshalsen. The inhabitants are called as ''Skatvalsbygg''. Skatval Church is located in th ...
, through which the line makes a semi-circular detour.Bjerke and Holom (1994): 93 Here it serves Skatval Station () and the closed Alstad Station. Alstad was previously an important station as it was conveniently placed for boat access from
Frosta Municipality Frosta is the smallest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Alstad, Norway, Alstad (also known as ''Frosta''). Other villages in Frosta includ ...
.Hoås and Stene (2006): 29 Located at
above mean sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
(AMSL), it was the highest elevated station on the line. The line then enters the municipality of Levanger, where it first reaches the closed Langstein Station and then the closed Vudu Station. After Vudu, the line reaches its highest elevation of when it crosses over European Road 6 (E6). The line then reaches
Åsen Station Åsen Station () is a railway station located in the village of Åsen in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Nordland Line. The station is served hourly by SJ Norge's Trøndelag Commuter Rail service to ...
() before continuing past the closed Hammerberg Station to Ronglan Station (). Before reaching
Skogn Station Skogn Station () is a railway station located in the village of Skogn in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Nordland Line railway line. The station is served hourly by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail service to ...
(), a spur branches off to
Fiborgtangen Fiborgtangen is a peninsula and industrial site located along Trondheimsfjord in the northwest part of the village of Skogn in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The site hosts the paper mill Norske Skog Skogn and the associated ...
, serving
Norske Skog Skogn Norske Skog Skogn AS is a pulp mill and paper mill situated in Levanger Municipality, Norway, which produces newsprint. Situated on the Fiborgtangen peninsula in Skogn Municipality, Skogn, the mill has three paper machines with a total annual ca ...
. The mainline continues past Eggen Station and over the E6, past the closed Sykehuset Levanger Station, which served
Levanger Hospital Levanger Hospital () is a hospital located in the town of Levanger in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The hospital is located along the road Kirkegata on the west side of the town of Levanger. Along with Namsos Hospital, this ...
, before reaching
Levanger Station Levanger Station () is a railway station located in the centre of the town of Levanger in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located along the Nordland Line. The station serves both local and express trains north ...
(). It then crosses the river Levangselva on a bridge. It passes the closed Elberg Station and to reach HiNT Station (), which serves the Levanger campus of
Nord-Trøndelag University College Nord-Trøndelag University College () was a Norwegian university college located throughout the county of Nord-Trøndelag. HiNT had about 5,500 students and 440 employees in 2013. In January 2016, the university was merged with Nesna University ...
. The line continues past the closed Østborg Station and Rinnan Station before entering the municipality of Verdal. After Bergsgrav Station (), which serves the neighborhood of Vinne, a spur branches off to Verdal's industrial area. The mainline crosses the river of
Verdalselva Verdalselva () is a long river in Verdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river begins at Holmen in the village of Vuku at the confluence of the rivers Inna and Helgåa. The river Inna drains the lake Innsvatnet near the Swedish ...
on a truss bridge before reaching
Verdal Station Verdal Station () is a railway station located in the town of Verdalsøra in Verdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. History The station was opened on 1 November 1904 on the Hell–Sunnan Line as the section to Verdal was finished. ...
(). It is followed by the closed Fleskhus Station and Bjørga Station before entering the municipality of Inderøy at the Koabjørgen Tunnel. The only station in Inderøy is Røra Station (); however the line does not enter Steinkjer before passing through the Lunnan Tunnel. After passing the closed Vollan Station, the line reaches Sparbu Station (). It then passes the closed Mære Station and Vist Station and crosses over the bridge over Figgja to reach
Steinkjer Station Steinkjer Station () is a railway station located in the town of Steinkjer in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located on the Nordland Line, serving both local and express trains northbound through Innherred ...
(). The line runs over the river of Steinkjerelva on a truss bridge. Then come two spurs, to Eggebogen and
Byafossen Byafossen is a village in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic isla ...
. The line continues past the closed Byafossen Station and Fossemvatnet Station and terminates at the closed
Sunnan Station Sunnan or Sundan is a village in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the area between the lakes Snåsavatnet and Fossemvatnet about northeast of the town of Steinkjer. The village of Følling lies about to t ...
(). The Nordland Line continues over a bridge across
Snåsavatnet Snåsavatnet (; ) is Norway's sixth-largest lake. The lake is located in Steinkjer Municipality and Snåsa Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The villages of Følling and Sunnan lie at the southwestern end of the lake and the village o ...
.


History


Planning

Planning of a railway to connect
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; or is a county and coextensive with the Trøndelag region (also known as ''Midt-Norge'' or ''Midt-Noreg,'' "Mid-Norway") in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County (); in 1804 the county was ...
and
Jämtland Jämtland () is a historical provinces of Sweden, province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland, Sweden, Lapland to the north and Trøndelag and Norw ...
, Sweden, started in 1869, with one of the proposals being to build a line from
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
via Verdal to Sweden. However, surveys along the Verdal proposed route deemed it unsuitable, and instead the line was built via
Stjørdalen Stjørdalen is a valley and a traditional district in Trøndelag county, Norway. The valley follows the Stjørdalselva river from the Norway-Sweden border to the west where it empties into the Trondheimsfjorden. The valley traverses Stjørda ...
and
Meråker Meråker or Meraker may refer to: Places *Meråker Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway * Meråker (village), a village within Meråker Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway * Meråker Church, a church in Meråker Municipal ...
. To conform with Swedish standards, the line was built with standard gauge instead of the in Norway more common
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
. The Meråker Line opened on 22 July 1882. In Stjørdal, controversy arose over the route. The river of
Stjørdalselva Stjørdalselva () is a long river that reaches from near the Norwegian– Swedish border down the Stjørdalen valley through Meråker Municipality and Stjørdal Municipality before entering the Trondheimsfjord. The mouth is located on the sout ...
creates a barrier just north of Hell, which made it cheaper to build the line on the south shore of the river to
Hegra HEGRA, which stands for High-Energy-Gamma-Ray Astronomy, was an atmospheric Cherenkov effect, Cherenkov telescope for Gamma-ray astronomy. With its various types of detectors, HEGRA took data between 1987 and 2002, at which point it was dismantl ...
. However, the major population center was located at Stjørdalshalsen, on the north shore of the river. Locally, there were many protests against the line bypassing such a large town, but the cost of the bridge made
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
choose the southern alternative. This gave residents in the town a route to the train, since they had to cross the river to get access to the railway. This decreased the railway's ability to compete with the steam ships and thus the overall profitability of the line. With the arrival of the railway, transport to Trondheim became much easier than to Stjørdalshalsen and Levanger, helping Trondheim grow as a regional center. The Nordland Line was first publicly proposed by Ole Tobias Olsen in a
letter to the editor A letter to the editor (LTE) is a Letter (message), letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through ...
in ''
Morgenbladet is Norway's oldest daily newspaper, covering politics, culture and science, now a weekly news magazine primarily directed at well-educated readers. The magazine is notable for its opinion section featuring contributions exclusively from Norweg ...
'' in 1872, where he argued for a railway between Trondheim and his home county of
Nordland Nordland (; , , , ) is one of the three northernmost Counties of Norway, counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to t ...
. The same year, Nord-Trøndelag County Council voted in favor to start planning of a railway between Trondheim and
Namsos Namsos may refer to: Places *Namsos Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Namsos (town) Namsos is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the administrative center of Namsos Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. ...
. The county council appointed a railway committee in 1875, who on 23 August 1876 published a report to encourage national authorities to consider the line, which resulted in surveying starting in 1877. On 27 April 1881, the committee made its recommendation to the county council and ceased its work. No planning was done the next three years, until three county councilors, Vilhelm Andreas Wexelsen, Peter Theodor Holst and Bernhard Øverland, made a new proposal. However, it was not until 1889 that the county council appointed a new railway committee, which was led by Wexelsen. In 1891, the county's road committee, led by Øverland, sent an official request to the railway committee, asking for details about their plans, so the appropriate roads could be planned. This spurred the committees work and a cooperation with Nordland County Council was initiated to increase the projects priority by national politicians. On 2 March 1896, with 87 against 27 votes, Parliament passed legislation approving a railway from Hell to Sunnan. Costs were estimated at 8.75 million
Norwegian krone The krone (, currency sign, abbreviation: kr (also NKr for distinction); ISO 4217, code: NOK), plural ''kroner'', is the currency of the Kingdom of Norway (including List of possessions of Norway, overseas territories and dependencies). It was t ...
(NOK), of which 15 percent was to be financed with local grants and the remainder by the state. Construction was scheduled to take 15 years. The decision initially called for the railway to be built in two stages, with the split at Rinnan in Levanger—the site of the military camp Rinnleiret. Final approval of construction was made by Parliament on 11 June 1898.


Construction

At Hell, there arose a disagreement about where the Hell–Sunnan Line should branch from the Meråker Line. Initial proposals were to place the branch from a location before Hell Station, thus forcing trains to back up from Hell Station before continuing northwards. The
station building A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, ...
at Hell was also too small for the increased traffic, so it was moved to Sunnan Station and a new station building, with capacity for 25 employees, was built at Hell. In
Skatval Skatval is a village in Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Skatval peninsula about northwest of the town of Stjørdalshalsen. The inhabitants are called as ''Skatvalsbygg''. Skatval Church is located in th ...
, there was a controversy as to whether the station should be built at Mæhre or Alstad. Mæhre (later Skatval) had support from the municipal council and was closer to the larger share of the area's population. However, the military wanted Alstad, as it was a rally point for the military in case of a Swedish invasion, and gave easy waterway access from Frosta. The station was placed at Mæhre, while a
passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...
was built at Alstad. The most difficult work was through Grubbåsen, near
Åsen Åsen is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located between the lakes Hammervatnet and Hoklingen. The European route E06 highway and the Nordlandsbanen railway line both pass through the village. The ...
. The ground consisted of
quick clay Quick clay, also known as Leda clay and Champlain Sea clay in Canada, is any of several distinctively sensitive glaciomarine clays found in Canada, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Finland, the United States, and other locations around the world. The cla ...
, which the railway was to pass through in a trench. On 5 May 1900, a landslide filled the trench, killing three navvies. Past the lake of Nesvannet, there was also weak
soil mechanics Soil mechanics is a branch of soil physics and applied mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids (usually air and ...
, resulting in the need for
piling A pile or piling is a vertical structural element of a deep foundation, driven or drilled deep into the ground at the building site. A deep foundation is a type of foundation that transfers building loads to the earth farther down from th ...
. One worker was killed after getting hit by a piling log. In Levanger, there was debate as to whether the station should be on the west or east side of the tracks, with the decision falling on the west side. The section from Hell to Stjørdal started revenue service on 1 February 1902. The section from Stjørdalshalsen to Levanger was officially opened on 27 October 1902, with ordinary services starting on 29 October. Construction on the line's second part, from Levanger to Sunnan, started in 1901. Part of the reason for the early start was to help employ older navvies who were working on the southern section during the summer.Hoås and Stene (2006): 45 By early 1904, the right-of-way to Fleskhus was completed and the laying of tracks could begin. The bridge over
Verdalselva Verdalselva () is a long river in Verdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river begins at Holmen in the village of Vuku at the confluence of the rivers Inna and Helgåa. The river Inna drains the lake Innsvatnet near the Swedish ...
was built using of stone, which had to be transported from Bagloåsen in Levanger. The superstructure was built by Vulkan of
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
and was installed between 9 September and 27 November 1903. In Verdalsøra there again arose a debate over which side of the tracks the station should be on. The townspeople wanted it on the west side, which was on the same side as the town center, while farmers wanted it east side, which was most accessible from the valley. The result was that the station was placed on the east side. The section from Levanger to Verdal was opened on 1 November 1904, although the station building was not completed until 1905. At the time there were two trains per direction per day, one passenger train and one post train. For the bridge over Ydseelva in Verdal, which had a main span of only , construction started in April 1903 and was completed on 21 November. The area has quick clay, so the bridge needed piling.Hoås and Stene (2006): 53 At
Røra Røra is a village in Inderøy Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located on a small peninsula between the Trondheimsfjorden and the Børgin fjord. The village is located about north of the town of Verdalsøra and abou ...
, a spur was originally planned to Hylla, but this was discarded late in the planning phase. At Hellem in Inderøy the right-of-way had to be moved because of poor soil mechanics. There were similar issues north of the Lunnan Tunnel, forcing the tunnel to be extended and a support being built. Construction of the tunnel was performed by 40 men during the winter of 1904 and 1905. It cost NOK 90,179 and took 23.9 man-hours per meter to build. In the former municipality of
Sparbu Sparbu is a village in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located about south of the town of Steinkjer. The European route E6 highway runs through the village as does the Nordlandsbanen railway line which stop ...
, there was a contentious debate over both the route and the location of the station. Although the line was built where it had originally been planned, two alternatives were launched, both which saw the line go further east and higher up in the terrain. At the time both the dairy and store were located at Lein. The current villages of Sparbu and
Mære Mære is a village in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along European route E6 and the Nordlandsbanen railway line, about south of the town of Steinkjer. The village of Sparbu lies about south of Mære. ...
had not been established, and locals wanted the railway to go through Lein, which was the de facto municipal center. However, the alternatives were longer and would run through more rolling terrain, so the engineers insisted on the original route. The plans called for a station at Leira (today known as Sparbu) and at Vist, but many locals instead wanted it at Mære, in part to serve the new Mære Agricultural School. On 5 June 1900, Parliament voted in favor of only one station, at Mære. However, the decision was reverted by Parliament on 24 April 1901. A support wall was built at Sørlia, just south of Steinkjer, after there was a clay landslide. Construction of the bridge over Figgja, just south of Steinkjer, was performed in 1904. The superstructure was built by
Kværner Kværner was a Norwegian engineering and construction services company that existed between 1853 and 2005. During its initial decades, the firm was involved in the manufacture of cast iron stoves and hydroelectric turbines. The turbine busi ...
of Oslo and installed between 11 November and 21 December 1904. The bridge over Steinkjerelva took up a significant portion of the old river port in Steinkjer, resulting in a spur being built to a new port location. The railway ran right through the town center, forcing 20 houses to be demolished and splitting the town in two. The arrival and route of the railway was described by some locals as
vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The t ...
. A counter-proposal which saw the line run further up and cross through Steinkjersannan and Furuskogen—and thus avoid the town itself—was discarded because it would wreck the military camp at Steinkjersannan and would be located too far from the port. There was also a major debate as to whether the station should be on the south side or north side of the river. The municipal council voted for the south side with the mayor's double vote being decisive. Construction of the bridge over Steinkjerelva started in August 1902 and was completed on 7 May 1904. A proposal to build the bridge as a
swing bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that can be rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. It has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravit ...
was dropped, forcing the railways to pay NOK 45,402 in compensation to companies with facilities upstream. Steinkjer is surrounded by a
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
which had to be traversed with a cutting, long and up to deep. of earthwork was removed, half with a
steam shovel A steam shovel is a large steam engine, steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as Rock (geology), rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. Steam shovels played a major role in ...
, and largely used to build
reclaimed land Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamatio ...
for the railway's right-of-way through Steinkjer. The official opening of the section between Verdal and Sunnan took place on 14 November 1905. Revenue service started the following day.


Operation

The choice of route through
Innherred or is a traditional district in Trøndelag county in the central part of Norway. It consists of the areas around the inner part of the Trondheimsfjord in the central-east part of the county. The district includes the municipalities of Levange ...
was largely without much debate, as the line naturally went through all the towns and most of the important villages. Sunnan was a natural place to halt construction, as it is located at the foot of the lake of Snåsavatnet, allowing connection with
steam ship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The fir ...
s.Hoås and Stene (2006): 79 Scheduled services on Snåsavatnet started in 1871 with SS ''Dina'', which was replaced with SS ''Bonden'' in 1885. From 1904 to 1921, ''Bonden'' was supplemented with MS ''St. Olaf'', although SS ''Bonden'' remained in corresponding service with the train until 1926. Even before planning of the Hell–Sunnan Line was completed, there arose disagreement as to the route onwards. In a plan from the 1870s, there was consensus that the towns of Stjørdal, Levanger, Steinkjer and Namsos should receive a line, but there was a disagreement as to the route. The Beitstad Line would run from Steinkjer via
Beitstad Beitstad () is a village in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Beitstadsundet strait at the end of the Beitstadfjorden at the inner end of the Trondheimsfjord, about southwest of the village o ...
and Namdalseid to Namsos and from there to
Grong Grong may refer to: Places *Grong Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Medjå Medjå or Grong is a village which serves as the administrative center of Grong Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along th ...
, while the Snåsa Line would run from Sunnan via
Snåsa Snåsa may refer to: Places

*Snåsa Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Snåsa (village), a village in Snåsa Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Snåsa Church, a church built in 1200 in Snåsa Municipality in Trø ...
to Grong, with a branch from Grong to Namsos. The Beitstad Line would run through the most densely populated areas, while the Snåsa Line was shorter. Parliament decided on the Snåsa Line in 1900. The railway was extended from Sunnan to
Snåsa Station Snåsa Station () is a railway station on the Nordland Line serving the village of Snåsa in Snåsa Municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsul ...
on 30 October 1926, with the section from Hell to Sunnan becoming classified as part of the Nordland Line. The railway was completed to Bodø on 7 June 1962. In 1909, a station was opened at Fossemvatnet, followed by a station at Fleskhus in 1913. Mære continued to be the dominant center of Sparbu, so in 1915, the national authorities offered to build a station there. However, the municipality would not grant the necessary NOK 6,300, so the station was funded with private donations. Construction started in 1916 and Mære Station opened on 1 April 1917. In the original plans for the railway, a spur was planned from north of Steinkjerelva to Eggebogen in Egge. However, in the parliamentary voting for the line, the spur was removed. In 1915, a public report criticized the railway for not having sufficient access to a proper port in Steinkjer, as Sørsileiret was located on the river and did not have a deep
quay A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
. The municipal council voted in favor of a new quay at Eggebogen on 16 May 1916, which was completed in 1924. The spur to Bogakaia opened on 15 August 1927, having cost NOK 139,200. A station was opened at Østborg in 1923, at Alstad in 1934, and at Hammerberg, Eggen and Bergsgrav in 1938. In 1940, a spur was built to
Værnes Air Station Værnes Air Station (/ˈvɛəɹnɛs/) () is an Military airbase, air station of the Royal Norwegian Air Force located in Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is co-located with Trondheim Airport, Værnes, which is owned and oper ...
and Øyanmoen. A new, wooden station building was built at Åsen in 1943 and 1944. The section to Værnes was removed in 1947. Vudu Station opened in 1950, followed by Vollan in 1952 and Bjørga and Sandferhus in the following year. From June to October 1953, a station was in use at Bjørga. From 1957, NSB started replacing steam trains on the line by introducing Di 3 locomotives. In 1956,
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
granted funding for an expansion of the runway at Trondheim Airport, Værnes. The easiest way was to extend the runway by building it over the road and railway and into the river. Construction started in 1959 and on 1 June 1960, the Værnes Tunnel was brought into use. A spur was built to Fiborgtangen in February 1966. Two years later, Elberg Station wax opened. Fossemvatnet Station was closed in 1972. The line received centralized traffic control in four phases: from Trondheim to Stjørdal on 11 January 1976, to Levanger on 9 January 1977, to Steinkjer on 6 December 1977 and to Snåsa on 23 November 1984. Bergsgrav Station was opened on 6 December 1977. In 1981, Di 4-locomotives were introduced. The spur to Øyanmoen was taken out of use and removed in October 1982. NSB introduced Class 92
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
s in 1985, cutting travel time on local services between Steinkjer and Trondheim by 25 minutes. In 1989, the station building at Sunnan was demolished. In 1989 and 1990, five stations were closed, consisting on Sandferhus, Vold, Vollan, Vist and Sunnan. On 1 September 1993, NSB launched the
Trøndelag Commuter Rail The Trøndelag Commuter Rail (, ) is a commuter train service operating in Trøndelag county, Norway. It was operated with NSB Class 92, Class 92 diesel multiple units by Vy (formerly Norwegian State Railways (1883–1996), Norwegian State Railw ...
, of which the main service ran from Steinkjer to Trondheim. The initial plans called for the continued use of the Class 92 rolling stock, but saw change in schedules and the upgrading platforms for NOK 15 million. At the same time, the stations of Alstad, Langstein and Fleskhus were closed. The service from Trondheim to Steinkjer had ten daily round trips. After six months operation, the service had experienced a 40 percent growth in patronage. This was further increased with the opening of Trondheim Airport Station on 15 November 1994, which cost NOK 24 million. The upgrades to the airport also included a new
taxiway A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with Airport apron, aprons, hangars, Airport terminal, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as Asphalt concrete, asphalt or concrete, although sma ...
, which resulted in second Værnes Tunnel being built. A station was also established to serve Levanger Hospital on 20 December 1995. On 10 November 1994, the line received
automatic train control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
. NSB was split up on 1 December 1996 and the ownership of the tracks and infrastructure was inherited by the Norwegian National Rail Administration, while the operation of trains was taken over by the new NSB. From 1994, Di 6 and Di 8 locomotives were introduced, but the Di 6 proved unreliable and returned to the manufacturer. In 2000, NSB started using Class 93 diesel multiple units on intercity trains, retiring the Di 3. In March 2000, NSB announced the closing of several stations for the commuter train service. Fifty percent of the stations were responsible for only two percent of the traffic, and NSB instead wanted buses to transport people to the closest railway station, which would reduce overall transport time for most passengers. From 7 January 2001, a fixed, hourly headway was introduced on the trains from Steinkjer to Trondheim. Mære, Østborg, Rinnan and Elberg were closed, but HiNT Røstad opened. From June 2001, NSB introduced additional rush-hour trains between Trondheim and Steinkjer, giving a half-hour headway. The Nordland Line had not received NSB's first generation of train radio, Scanet, so was among the first lines to receive
GSM-R GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is use ...
from 1 December 2004. In 2010, CargoNet started using Vossloh Euro locomotives. Sykehuset Levanger Station was closed on 11 December 2010. Despite generating some 90,000 annual patrons and being one of the busiest stations on the line, it was located too close to Levanger Station to meet safety requirements.


Architecture

The stations were designed by
Paul Due Paul Due may refer to: * Paul Due (architect) (1835–1919), Norwegian architect ** Paul Armin Due (1870–1926), Norwegian architect and son of the above * Paul Due (footballer) (1889–1972), Norwegian international footballer {{DEFAULTSOR ...
(1835–1919) and his son, Paul Armin Due (1870–1926). Original stations between Stjørdal and Levanger were designed by Paul Due, while those from Rinnan to Byafossen, as well as Hell Station, were designed by Paul Armin Due. The designs are characterized by the transition period between
Dragestil Dragestil () is a style of design and architecture that originated in Norway and was widely used principally between 1880 and 1910. It is a variant of the more embracing National Romantic style and an expression of Romantic nationalism. History Th ...
and
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
, with early stations dominated more by the former and later stations more by the latter. Norway went through a nationalistic period during the construction, and Paul Due chose to replace his older buildings' foreign elements with traditional Norwegian elements. Røra and Byafossen were the only stations not custom designed, while Sunnan was designed by
Peter Andreas Blix Peter Andreas Blix (4 November 1831 – 31 January 1901) was a Norwegian architect and engineer best known for designing railway stations and villas in Swiss chalet style. He was also occupied with the conservation of Norwegian stave churches an ...
—as it was originally built at Hell in 1881.Hoås and Stene (2006): 84 At the time of construction, the railways provided a leap in transport for the communities it passed through. NSB saw beautiful and grand stations as a way to draw patronage, and chose, in addition to impressive architecture, to build a park adjacent each stations. As construction went by, funding for stations were reduced, resulting in less grandeur further north. Most stations had two stories and an attic, although some of the stations serving lesser places had smaller buildings. From Steinkjer to Skogn, the ground floors were built in random rubble. As construction continued, budgets were reduced and station costs were cut. From Rinnan to Sparbu, the ground floors were instead built in brick, and from Mære and north, the stations have wooden ground floors. In addition to a
station building A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, ...
s, stations consisted of an outhouse and a freight house; selected stations also featured a
water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...
and
motive power depot A motive power depot (MPD) or locomotive depot, or traction maintenance depot (TMD), is where locomotives are usually housed, repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds" or just "sheds". Facilit ...
.
Levanger Station Levanger Station () is a railway station located in the centre of the town of Levanger in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located along the Nordland Line. The station serves both local and express trains north ...
is the most spectacular station on the line and also the best preserved town station. Built entirely in stone, it has a dominant position in town and with a park in front of the station. It was designed in combined Medieval style, with strong elements of Gothic and Romanesque style.
Steinkjer Station Steinkjer Station () is a railway station located in the town of Steinkjer in Steinkjer Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located on the Nordland Line, serving both local and express trains northbound through Innherred ...
was the other station entirely built in stone. It has a combined Baroque Revival and Art Nouveau style, and is more anonymous than Levanger Station. Its characteristics were largely lost after it was connected with the bus station. Three stations, Langstein,
Skogn Skogn is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern shore of the Trondheimsfjorden, about southwest of the town of Levanger. The European route E06 highway runs through the village ...
and Levanger, have been preserved, while
Skatval Skatval is a village in Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Skatval peninsula about northwest of the town of Stjørdalshalsen. The inhabitants are called as ''Skatvalsbygg''. Skatval Church is located in th ...
and
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
have been protected. In 1993, NSB built new sheds on all stations served by the commuter rail. Linje Arkitekter designed sheds which combined the existing architectural traditions in material and roof shapes, with modern style. The sheds have a roof, glass walls and a framework in wood. They were optimized to give good protection from various types weather.


Service

The main passenger service on the section from Hell to Steinkjer is the
Trøndelag Commuter Rail The Trøndelag Commuter Rail (, ) is a commuter train service operating in Trøndelag county, Norway. It was operated with NSB Class 92, Class 92 diesel multiple units by Vy (formerly Norwegian State Railways (1883–1996), Norwegian State Railw ...
. Operated by
SJ Norge SJ is the primary passenger train operator in Sweden. A wholly state-owned company operated for-profit under market conditions, SJ operates various services across Sweden. SJ's operations include high-speed trains, intercity trains, night trains ...
, it runs at a fixed hourly
headway Headway is the distance or duration between vehicles in a transit system. The ''minimum headway'' is the shortest such distance or time achievable by a system without a reduction in the speed of vehicles. The precise definition varies depending on ...
—with additional rush-hour services—between Lerkendal Station in Trondheim and Steinkjer, calling at 13 stations on the Hell–Sunnan Line. Travel time from Steinkjer is 24 minutes to Verdal, 37 minutes to Levanger, 1 hour and 24 minutes to Stjørdal and 2 hours and 4 minutes to Trondheim. The services are operated with Class 92 diesel multiple units. NSB also operates intercity services from Trondheim to Bodø on the Nordland Line. These consist of two daily through trains, one day and one night service, with an additional service between Trondheim and
Mo i Rana (Norwegian language, Norwegian; ) or (and unofficially , ) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city, and the administrative centre of Rana Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the Helgeland region of Nordland, just sou ...
. Stjørdal and Steinkjer are the only stations along the line which remain manned. NSB uses a combination of Class 93 diesel multiple units and Di 4-hauled trains.
CargoNet CargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight rail transport, freight trains on the rail transport in Norway, Norwegian railway system. It was originally formed as NSB Gods after Vy, NSB (now Vy) was split into separate passenger and freight ...
and Cargolink operate freight trains along the line. CargoNet hauls using Vossloh Euro, while Cargolink uses Di 6 locomotives, respectively.


Future

Politicians have signalized that they want to electrify the tracks from Trondheim to Steinkjer along with the Meråker Line. NSB will need to replace the Class 92 trains towards the end the 2010s, and want to coordinate the new stock with electrification. The county municipalities of Nord-Trøndelag and
Sør-Trøndelag Sør-Trøndelag (; ) was a Counties of Norway, county comprising the southern portion of the present-day Trøndelag county in Norway. It bordered the old Nord-Trøndelag () county as well as the counties of Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, and Hedmark. ...
proposed during the early 2000s that the Nordland Line between Trondheim and Steinkjer be upgraded reduce travel time to one hour. This would require the average speed to be increased to , mainly through a modernization of the existing line. Specific projects include electrification,
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most li ...
between Trondheim and Trondheim Airport, additional passing loops, a new bridge over Stjørdalselva and a rearrangement of the tracks at Hell. This would have to be combined with a reduction in the number of stops. The National Rail Administration estimates that the mentioned investments, which would cost between NOK 4 and 6 billion, will allow a travel time of one hour and ten minutes. If a number of curves are straightened, increased capacity is introduced between Stjørdal and Steinkjer and a further number of stops are removed, travel time could be reduced to one hour. Norsk Bane, a lobbyist organization which is suggesting to build a high-speed line from Oslo to Trondheim and onwards to Steinkjer, have proposed building an all-new right-of-way on the route. They estimate that regional trains would, with their infrastructure, be able to operate trains from Steinkjer to Trondheim in 40 minutes. The proposals involves only keeping the stations at Trondheim Airport, Stjørdal, Åsen, Levanger, Verdal, Røra and Steinkjer along the Hell–Sunnan segment. It would involve three services per hour and direct trains to Oslo, with speeds up to .


References

;Bibliography * * * * * * * ;Notes {{DEFAULTSORT:Hell-Sunnan Line Railway lines in Norway Railway lines in Trøndelag Nordland Line Railway lines opened in 1902 1902 establishments in Norway Art Nouveau architecture in Norway National Romantic architecture in Norway Art Nouveau railway stations